BLUE

4. Psycho

"So, Blake where did you transfer from?" Sam asked me, and I felt the other guys turn their attention back to me.

I told them pretty much the same things I told Becca. We talked about it for a while and some of the guys made some jokes about home schooling. Not mean ones, just bad ones mainly.

"Where are you from then? I'm guessing England, 'cause the accent" Sam said.

"Well, you guessed right. I was born in London, but we moved to Ohio when I was 13" I answered, picking at my food with my fork.

"Oh cool. I wa-"

"Blake, have you seen any chicks you like?" one of the twins cut in suddenly and asked me. It was going to take a while for me to learn who was whom of them.

I felt something in my stomach turn when he asked me that question, and I didn't know what to say.

"Uhm, no not really" I said quietly and without thinking I looked over at Becca who were still sitting alone.

"Well then who is it you keep staring at?" Sam asked and looked at the same direction I was looking.

He quickly discovered that I was looking at Becca and let out a laugh.

"You're kidding me, right?" he said and looked at me.

"What do you mean?" I said and gulped down.

"Dude, you cannot have a thing for that girl" he said, with a serious look.

"Why?" I asked, my curiosity taking over me.

"She's a psycho" I heard one of the twins say.

I frowned at their words but before I could ask any question, Sam took over.

"Yeah, and she's a slut too, and not the good kind. I heard she slept with every guy at her last school, that's why she transferred" he said. I couldn't believe his words, that couldn't be right.

"I heard she slept with one of the teachers at her school, and he ended up in jail" the other twin said.

"What? Come on, that can't be true" I said.

I just couldn't believe that about her. She didn't seem like that person at all.

"Sophie used to be friends with her and she said Becca confirmed the teacher thing to her" one of the twins said and pointed to a girl sitting at the end of the table.

I was speechless, I couldn't believe she was like that. She seemed so nice.

"I'm telling you Blake, stay away from her. Just drool over any other girl, really" Sam said and shoved a fork full of pasta in his mouth.

"Some people say that they heard she's like into satanic stuff. That's why she wears such dark clothes" one of the twins said and made them all laugh.

I began eating my food again as the guys started talking about something else. I looked over at Becca who stood up and threw her food in a trash can and disappeared out the door. No matter how many times the guys said those things about her, I just couldn't believe it was true, even though I didn't know her at all.

***

My first school day was over before I knew it. It was pretty intense sitting through 2 hours of English and 1 hour of Biology, but I actually liked it. I was sat in my car starring out of the window, I felt like so much happened in one day. Public High School was a lot different than I imagined, but I couldn't quite explain why. It was just a feeling I guess. 

I started my car and began my way home. I knew my parents would have a lot of questions about my first day. I couldn't figure out if it had been a good day. I liked the classes, and the teachers, and I guess I made some friends too? I mean Sam was nice, I think, and Becca too. Was I her friend? Were we going to speak again? Or was all that happened today just an act of kindness for the "newbie"? My head was exploding with questions and thoughts about everything, but mostly about a blue haired girl.

I ran my hand over my face and sighed. What was happening to me? I had never really been this anxious before. I dug into my pocket and pulled my glasses out. I looked at myself in the tiny review mirror and put them on. I almost didn't recognize myself with my hair not slicked back and my glasses on, but somehow, I kind of liked how I looked without it.

I got home and as I predicted, my parents overflowed me with questions. The first thing my mom said to me when I came in the door was "How was it?" not even a hello.

"It was good, I guess" I said while taking off my coat, looking down at the green stain that was still on my chest. 

"What does that mean?" my mom asked with worry in her voice. I turned around and discovered my dad was standing beside her in the kitchen now.

"It was a good day, people were nice. I even made some friends. I just have to get used to the whole public-school thing, it's so different from private school" I said and shrugged.

"You know you just have to say the word and we can easily transfer you back to your old school, and-"

"Dad, it was great" I interrupted him. "I really liked it, it was just a lot to take in, in one day"

I began walking towards the fridge, I was starving. I was usually not this hungry after school, it was probably because of all the stress the day had caused.

"Well I'm glad you had a good day honey. I can't believe it's already senior year" my mom said looking at me like I was still her little six-year-old boy, obsessed with dinosaurs.

"I know, suddenly I feel old. We should start looking into funeral homes" I joked.

"Oh, stop it you!" my mom said and smacked me in the stomach.

I chuckled and went up into my room, instantly throwing myself on the bed. My parents were surprisingly cheerful considering the many fights I had with them when I told them I wanted to transfer. It took me a long time to convince them to let me do it. I even had to make a deal with my dad and promise him I would go to law school right after I graduated.

I could've just stayed at my old school through the last year of high school, but I just couldn't stand that place anymore. The teachers, the people, everything about it. I hated feeling like I had to be above people in some way because my parents had a lot of money. No part of me wanted to end up like the snobby rich kids I went to school with. It just became too much. I wanted to feel like a normal kid going to high school.

I didn't want to be defined as the guy who went to private school, had rich parents and grew up to be a lawyer. I knew that wasn't who I am, even though that's who my parents clearly wanted me to be. I was more than that, I was sure. I wanted things to change, and somehow, it felt like they already had.